Police Nab Ex-Home Guards Posing As Fake Cops

Sleuths in L B Nagar nabbed three ex-home guards who were posing as policemen and extorting petrol bunks, ration shops, hospitals and petty businesses in the name of anti-corruption raids, and recovered cash worth lakhs, five cell phones and two Home Guard ID cards from their possession.

The accused were identified as Komati Madhu, 38, a driver from JNRM colony, Abdullapurmet, Hayatnagar; S Janaiah Chary, 35, real estate broker from Kuntloor; Jangala Mahesh, 38, from Surya nagar colony, Kuntloor, Hayathnagar. They previously worked as Home Guards in Hyderabad.

As per reports, the extortionists were threatening ration dealers, hospitals, petrol pumps and small businessmen saying that they were from the Rachakonda PS and knew about the corrupt activities in their businesses. The victims felt threatened and handed over money.

Since the assailants used to extort paltry sums like Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,000 in the past, the victims never lodged complaints with the police. Recently, they went to a petrol pump in L B Nagar and demanded Rs. 10,000 and collected Rs. 2,000 stating that they would come again for the remaining amount.

On receiving credible information, the Rachakonda SOT apprehended the accused on Saturday when the latter extorted money from the petrol pump at L B Nagar, and handed over to the PS there. During the interrogation, the accused confessed that in the recent times they had been regularly reading about the raids conducted by the SOT and wanted to take advantage of it. Hence they extorted businessmen disguised as SOT personnel.

A case has been registered with the L B Nagar PS.